Method of and apparatus for making flexible veneer



March 21, 1933.

I. HORINE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE VENEER Filed Aug. 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ihuwnfor -Z7"VU7 Eorine Cttorncgs.

I., HORINE Margh 21, 1933.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE VENEER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 3, 1931 31m w 7 h.

Ottorncgs.

Patented Mar. 21, 1933 uurrsuv STATES PATENT OFFICE IRVING HORINE, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE MENGEL COMPANY,

OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE VENEER Application filed August 3, 1931. Serial No. 554,836.

This invention pertains to the manufacture of pliable or flexible wood veneers and has to do with the method of and apparatus for the production of the same wherein the veneer is fractured, backed and/or smoothed or finished. The final product is such that it may be applied to walls, columns and other building elements without danger of warping and will retain its finished appearance indefinitely.

The application of veneers to various surfaces is frequently attended by warping or puckering of the veneer after the adhesive employed has dried. This is due in the main to unequal expansion and contraction or shrinking of portions of the veneer and a con-. sequent variation in the strains imposed on the veneer after it has set. It has been found that fractured veneer, that is, veneer in which the fibres have been more or less separated, resists or loses the tendency to warp and all parts thereof remain firmly affixed to the surface to which it is applied.

The present apparatus is designed to fracture wood veneer, preferably while it is dry,

without excessive distortion thereof. The wood is so fractured as to produce closely adjacent sections partially separated from each other and the fracturing operation repeated as often as is necessary to insure substantial separation of all the fibres in the wood.

The invention further contemplates the attachment of a fabric sheet such as cloth or paper to the fractured veneer, an adhesive, which in itself is very pliable, being used to effect the bond between the veneer and the fabric backing.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which 4 Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the fracfected b Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of rolls for smoothing the backed veneer;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial section of the fracturing rolls, a yielding fabric carrier belt being passed through the rolls with the veneer;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 except that two belts are passed through the rolls with the veneer;

Fig. 7 illustrates one method of repeating the fracturing operation by passing the veneer successively through a plurality of rolls; and

Fig. 8 shows a modified arrangement of smoothin rolls.

Referring to the drawings, it is to be understood that the successive steps may be carried out in a single machine in which are embodied the several types of rolls. While Figs. 1 to 4 have been designated as separate mechanisms, the several parts are preferably so arranged and alined that the veneer passes from one to the other of the sets of rolls and the several steps constitute a continuous operation.

The unfractured veneer is first fed between a pair of toothed rolls 11, 12, the teeth of which are spaced sufliciently to permit veneer 13 passing therebetweeu to be bent to the point of fracture, the grain of the veneer being generally parallel to the axis of the toothed rolls 11 and 12 when being fed through same. In Figs. 5 and 6 the contour of the teeth is more clearly shown and it, will be seen that the corners of each tooth on roll 11 effects a decided distortion or sharp bending of veneer 13 as the tooth on roll 11 forces the veneer and a' yieldable carrying belt 14. therefor-into the space between adjacent teeth on roll 12., With some kinds of wood it is expedient to employ two carrying belts, 14, 14', one over and the other under the veneer,'as shown in Fig. 6. Furthermore, the upper roll 11 is adjustable with respect to the loweror fixed roll 12, to permit a greater or lesser distortion of the wood as it passes between the rolls. This adjustment is efdisplacement of a movable hearing 15 0 any suitable construction.

After having been crimped or bent into a somewhat wavy sheet, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, the veneer is next passed between a pair of flattening rolls 16, 17, shown in Fig. 2.

flattening mechanism, the grain of the wood being disposed transverse to the axes of the rolls. It has been found that this operation obviates lapping of the fibres and actually increases the area of the original sheet. At the same time the sinuous surface of the veneer is flattened so that, as it leaves the flattenin rolls, the sheet is perfectly flat but very plia le.

While it is feasible to pass the veneer through rolls 11 and 12 several times to fracture the sheet successively along different lines each time it is passed therethrough, an arrangement of several sets of fracturing rolls for this purpose is illustrated in Flg. 7. The rolls are so spaced that the lines of fracture in rolls 11', 12, are not coincident with those in rolls 11, 12, the sheet being so fractured in the second set of rolls that other fibres are ble veneer is carried to pressure rolls 18, 19,

' between which the veneer is passed simultaneously with a web of fabric 21 to which a coating of adhesive has been previously applied on one face thereof. The coated face of the fabric is pressed against the veneer by the pressure rolls, the pressure being gradually increased with each set of rolls if de' sired, so that the fabric is firmly attached to the veneer and forms a backing therefor. The composite sheet of wood veneer and fabric may then be transported to its-point of application without dan er of rupture. It may be noted here that tl ie adhesive is preferably a rubber'cement or an equivalent adhesive capable of resisting water and maintaining its relatively soft'texture and tackiness to render it pliable for long periods.

The final step in the manufacture of the veneer is a smoothing or polishing operation illustrated in Fig. 4. The composite sheet of veneer and fabric backing is passed through .calendering rolls 22, 23, 24, which give the veneer a smooth finishand generally improve its appearance.

A modification of the arrangement of smoothing rolls is shown in Fig. 8. Here the rolls 22', 23, 24',25, are staggered and guides 26, 27, are disposed between the rolls for guiding the composite sheet. In this arrangement of the ro ls it is not necessary to Preferably, the sheet is turned through an angle of 90 before entering the thread the composite sheet in the rolls, it being evident that, after the sheet is introduced to the lowest pair of rolls, it will be automatically guided to the upper rolls.

The rolls in each step of the process are illustrated as being hollow. It is desirable to maintain even temperature in some of the rolls and in-some instances it may be expedient to introduce steam into the rolls for drying the wood. Experiments have taught that green wood fractures less readily than dry or brittle wood and that it is advisable, depending on the moisture content of the veneer, to heat the fracturing and flattening rolls to a more or less degree. Furthermore it is necessary that the temperature of the adhesive be kept within well defined limits to obtain best results. The pressure rolls should, therefore, be maintained at a fairly uniform temperature.

Since the characteristics of the several woods from which veneers are out vary it is obvious that one will fracture more readily than another. It is for this reason that the rolls are mounted for adjustment with respect to each. The adjust-ability of the rolls also permits the proper manipulation of various thicknesses regardless of Whether the isghegts are of different woods or of the same The choice of a single belt or a pair of belts for carrying the veneer through the fracturing rolls depends on the thickness or toughness of the wood being operated upon. Some woods may be fractured without complete rupture even though a single belt be used, whereas other woods, more liable to rupture, must be bent without too great distortion. In the latter instance two belts, such as are shown in Fig. 6, must be used.

The present apparatus produces a very pliable smooth and easily applied veneer. The arrangement of rolls as illustrated and described is a preferred embodiment of the invention but it is contemplated that such' changes as are expedient to more efiicient operation may be made.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for producing pliable wood veneer comprising a pair of coopera ing toothed rolls between which the veneer is passed; and means for applying a fabric backing to the veneer after it is passed between said rolls.

2. Apparatus for producing pliable wood veneer comprising means for successively fracturing the veneer parallel to the grain thereof: and means for applying a fabric backing to the veneer after it is fractured.

3. Apparatus for producing pliable wood veneer comprising a pair of cooperatingtoothed rolls between. which the veneer is passed whereby said veneer is fractured; a pair of smooth rolls for flattening the fractured veneer; and means for applying a fabvric backing to said veneer after it is fractured and flattened.

4. Apparatus for producing pliable Wood veneer comprising a plurality of sets of fracturing rolls arranged to act successively on spaced portions of the veneer along lines parallel to the grain thereof; and means for applying a fabric backing to the veneer after it has been fractured.

5. Apparatus for producing pliable wood veneer comprising means for fracturing veneer along lines parallel to the grain thereof; means for flattening the fractured veneer; means for applying a fabric backing to the fractured veneer; and means for polishing the backed veneer.

6. Apparatus for producing pliable wood veneer comprising a pair of cooperating toothed rolls; a yieldable carrying belt passing between said rolls. said veneer being carried by said belt and fractured by said rolls; and means spaced from said belt for flattening the fractured veneer.

7. The method of producing pliable wood veneer which consists in fracturing the veneer along lines parallel to the grain thereof and thereafter applying a fabric backing to the veneer.

8. The method of producing pliable wood veneer which consists in fracturing the veneer along lines parallel to the grain thereof; coating a fabric strip with a waterproof adhesive; and thereafter applying the coated strip to the fractured veneer.

9. That method of producing a backed flexible veneer, which consists in initially fracturing the veneer along lines coincident with that of the grain of the wood; passing the veneer so treated between a pair of flattening rolls with the grain at right angles to the axis of therolls; and applying a backing to the veneer.

10. That method of producing a backed flexible veneer, which consists in initially of; coating a fabric strip with a waterproof adhesive capable of retainin its soft texture for a relatively long period; and thereafter applying the coated strip to the fractured veneer.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

IRVING HORINE.

fracturing the veneer along lines coincident with that of the grain of the wood; repeating such operation; passing the veneer so treated between a pair of flattening rolls with the grain of the wood at right angles to the axis of the rolls; and applying a flexible backing to the veneer.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the backed veneer is passed through smoothing rollers.

12. The method of producing pliable wood veneer which consists in fracturing the ve neer along lines parallel to the grain thereof; repeating the fracturing operation. to fracture the veneer along lines parallel to and intermediate the lines of fracture effected in the initial fracturing operation; and applying a backing to the veneer.

13. The method of producing pliable wood veneer which consists in fracturing the veneer along lines parallel to the grain there- 

